Destination Wedding
Destination wedding}} | writer = Victor Levin | starring = | music = William Ross | cinematography = Giorgio Scali | editing = Matt Maddox | studio = }} | distributor = Regatta | released = | runtime = 85 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $5 million | gross = $1.7 million }} Destination Wedding is a 2018 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Victor Levin, and stars Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves as two strangers who turn out to be attending the same wedding in Paso Robles. It was theatrically released in the United States on August 31, 2018, by Regatta. Plot Frank and Lindsay meet at the airport as they wait to board their flight to Paso Robles. Initially complimentary towards each other, Lindsay is irritated by Frank after he steps in front of her, thinking that he is going to cut in line. They argue and Frank moves to a different part of the waiting area, cutting in front of another passenger. To both of their irritation, they are forced to sit next to each other on the plane since all other seats are taken. As they talk, they realize that they are both in town for the same wedding. It is revealed that the groom is Frank's half brother, who he loathes, and Lindsay's ex fiancée, who left her five weeks before their wedding. They discover that their hotel rooms are attached after Lindsay walks into his room after mistakenly assuming that the connecting door was a closet. They are seated together for the rehearsal dinner and Frank notes that they were seated together because the groom does not know where else to put them. Lindsay works up the courage to congratulate her ex fiancée and his family, before returning to her hotel room early for the night. As both Frank and Lindsay are going to bed, they realize that they are watching the same movie after hearing each other’s television through the wall. Both approach the connecting door to knock, but do not have the courage to do so and return to watch the film by themselves. Throughout the weekend, Frank and Lindsay stick together, often going on walks to avoid participating in various activities with the other wedding guests. As they do so, they reveal more about their past and opinions on relationships. Frank reveals that he does not get along with his brother, but especially dislikes his parents. He cites his parent’s dysfunctional marriage, which was filled with infidelity as a reason for his negativity and cynicism towards love and relationships. Lindsay, while hurt and bitter due to her history of bad relationships, is slightly more hopeful about finding a partner, but has given up on the idea of having children. Although they butt heads on a lot of topics, they seem to find each other amusing and a connection forms. At the wedding reception, unable to take the happiness of the newlyweds and in an attempt to avoid having to dance, Frank and Lindsay decide to go for a walk. Several minutes into their walk, they encounter a mountain lion. Each wants to stay behind and fight the lion in order to give the other a chance at escaping. Frank eventually is able to scare the mountain lion away and they run away. As they run, they trip and end up rolling down a hill, after which Frank kisses her. She pushes him away and they debate over whether it would be a good idea to have sex. They ultimately decide to, even though they don't have condoms. As they have sex, Frank tells Lindsay more about his difficult childhood and ponders whether she will end up pregnant after their encounter. They return to Frank’s hotel room to watch bad television, and Lindsay coaxes him into eating the contents of the mini bar, despite how expensive it is. They acknowledge that they find each other attractive and despite several differences, enjoy each other’s company. Lindsay is more open to exploring their relationship, but Frank is adamant that it would be a bad idea, stating that it’s better to accept that they used each other to get through a painful weekend. This upsets Lindsay and she starts to leave until Frank convinces her to return to the bed. Lindsay ends up spending the night in Frank’s room and when they wake up the next morning, he asks her again if she thinks she's pregnant. They have breakfast together and then share a cab to the airport. As they fly back, Lindsay gets drunk and once again tries to convince Frank to give their connection a chance, but he refuses, though he seems unsure about his decision. Frank helps Lindsay get a cab and admonishes her for giving the cab driver her full address since it is unsafe, which flatters her. Despite him agreeing with Lindsay when she says that they should not exchange contact information, he seems saddened by the fact that they must say goodbye, and watches as the cab finally drives away. Back at his home, Frank goes through his wedding gift basket that was given to guests. As he looks through the items, he is reminded of the weekend he spent with Lindsay. She is at her home trying to save a plant that died while she was away when there is a knock at her door. She opens the door to find Frank. They smile at each other and Lindsay moves to the side to let him inside. Cast * Winona Ryder as Lindsay * Keanu Reeves as Frank Production Production wrapped in central California in August 2017. The film's score was composed by William Ross. Release In November 2017, Aviron Pictures acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film, releasing it under their Regatta banner. It was released on August 31, 2018. Reception Destination Wedding has grossed a worldwide total of $1.3 million, plus $38,394 with home video sales. According to Variety the production budget was $5 million. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 53% based on 80 reviews, and an average rating of 5.37/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Destination Wedding reunites Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder for a sour comedy whose initially promising misanthropic twist overpowers the chemistry of its leads." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 46 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Micheal Rechtshaffen of The Los Angeles Times panned the film calling it "a stubbornly unfunny 86 minutes that feels a lot longer." Jeanette Catsoulis of The New York Times called the film "torture" adding "this would-be romantic comedy is grating, cheap-looking and a mighty drag: it also turns two seasoned, likable actors into characters you’ll want to throttle long before the credits roll." Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a C+ saying the script "comes on like a rom-com David Mamet freight train; its verbal turns are so wildly overwritten that all the actors can really do is hold on to the wheel well, racing through reams of ratatat dialogue." More positively, Kate Erbland of IndieWire gave the film a B saying "Maybe this is what falling in love is like, and it’s high time that rom-coms had the space for weirdos like these." Benjamin Lee of The Guardian gave the film three out of five stars admitting that "some of the dialogue does border on overwritten...there’s enough wit and finely observed pedantry to make up for the occasional indulgence." Of the film's stars Lee said "The pair share an easy, spiky chemistry and Reeves in particular shows himself to be surprisingly skilled at delivering such bile-filled dialogue." Notes References External links * * * Category:2010s comedy-drama films Category:2010s romantic comedy films Category:2010s romantic drama films Category:2018 films Category:American comedy-drama films Category:American romantic comedy films Category:American romantic drama films Category:English-language films Category:Films about weddings Category:Films set in California Category:Films shot in California Category:Film scores by William Ross